Cincinnati/Xavier Game Ends In Ugly Brawl

Months after Georgetown’s basketball squad got into a fight overseas with a Chinese National Team, the rivalry game between Cincinnati & Xavier ended after a bench clearing brawl erupted during the final seconds of the game. Punches were thrown on both sides, kicks and more.

The latest crosstown shootout got out of control Saturday and ended in bedlam, a few seconds early. The repercussions haven’t even started.

Eighth-ranked Xavier beat crosstown rival Cincinnati 76-53 on Saturday in a game that featured a steady stream of trash talking and was called with 9.4 seconds left when the teams got into a brawl in a corner of the court.

Words escalated into shoves and swings. Both benches cleared. Frease left the court with his face bloodied after getting punched by Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates and then kicked by Cincinnati’s Cheikh Mbodj while he was on the floor on his knees. Xavier freshman Dez Wells threw a punch during the fracas.

It left a black-and-blue mark on the annual rivalry. Suspensions are expected after the tapes are reviewed. The Atlantic 10 and the Big East were examining the brawl, along with the schools.

“There’s no excuse for any of them, on our side, on their side,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said angrily. “Guys need to grow up.

“There is zero excuse for that in basketball. You’ve got to learn how to win on one side, you’ve got to learn how to lose on the other side.”

About The Author

Brandon Caldwell is the founder & editor-in-chief of Day & A Dream. His work has appeared in VIBE, UPROXX, Complex, EBONY, the Village Voice, the Houston Press, Houston Style Magazine, DJBooth, The Sports Fans Journal, and more. Follow him on Twitter: @_brandoc